- How do people “see” Jesus today?
- How do we help people see Jesus?
- Why don’t some people see the Jesus we see?
Tucked into the last section of our interactive Road to Emmaus Bible study (found in Jesus in Space software –now available for free at Rotation.org) is our interactive version of the famous sermon/children’s sermon about a photograph known as, “Jesus in the Snow.”
This photograph was originally published in youth ministry materials in the 1970’s, and when we produced our Jesus in Space program, we got permission from the daughter of the original copyright holder to include it as the life application exercise in our program.
HOW people begin to see the image of Jesus in the shadowy printing becomes a metaphor for how people “see” Jesus today…. often not on their own, but with help.
See my notes on “how to teach with this image” below.
You can project just the interactive segment from our Jesus in Space program to a group of children or youth, or you can PRINT the photo of Jesus in the snow (save the one seen below) and distribute it for your own children’s sermon, lesson, or sermon time (without using the software). The narrated software exercise in Jesus in Space software demonstrates to you “HOW TO” walk through the discussion about the photo. Hope you enjoy it.
Screenshot from the narrated activity in the software program:
Several times over the years I’ve walked students through “seeing” Jesus in the snow using copies of the photo. Done it as a children’s sermon, adult sermon, and in youth group. The process is almost always the same. First, you tell people not to show anybody else if they have figured it out, just wait on that. Ask how many think they see it (it’s only ever a few). Then, show them the RIGHT WAY to hold the photo (many will have held it upside down or sideways. Then have someone try to verbally explain how they see Jesus in the photos (I’ve even had them try to trace it with their finger on the photo for others, and again, some simply don’t see it yet.) Along the way, I intersperse comments along the lines of “not everyone sees Jesus right away, some people take their whole life!” And –sometimes it comes to you in a flash of inspiration, or help from others. Then I encourage others to help those who have not yet seen Jesus in the image to point it out. A lot of “Oh now I see it!” comments start to flow, and I continue to extend the metaphor. “Some people need more help seeing Jesus in their life than others” and such. Finally, I use a highlighter to TRACE the image of Jesus on my big copy so that the last few truly see what the others think they saw. I almost always show them the key, and don’t have them trace their copy –so that they can share the photo with others when they get home.
The point is not that this is a picture of Jesus, but that people often need help to “see” Jesus, just like those early disciples on the Road to Emmaus did. So you don’t help anyone at first, but wait for people to begin to see it, and then help others see it.
Having trouble seeing Jesus in the snow? Click here to see the key !
Warning: Once you’ve seen the key, you’ll never be able to un-see him again in the photo.
<>< Neil MacQueen
P.S. This photo and the experience of “seeing” something we want others to see is similar to why I like teaching with software. Software attracts and helps the learner SEE THROUGH DIFFERENT MEANS.